I wrote a hub awhile back that answersthis question for me. You can find it here: http://donnah75.hubpages.com/hub/Poetry … e-and-Heal
I do think that every poet might answer this question in a slightly different way though.
Poetry for me is a release of emotional stress. It is extremely helpful for dealing with grief when poetry is written with thoughts of the loved one passed on. I have written many memorial poems. I have also written poems about people I admire and let them see the poem in a personal greetings not found in a regular greeting card. You'd be amazed how much they like getting these special notes.
Poetry can be another way of story telling. Ballads, jingles and song lyrics are stories in the form of poetry. Funny, serious or emotional words bring to light what you are feeling in your heart. If you wrote it or another did the results are the same if you can relate to what is being said.
We see because light (energy) ricochets randomly as it is reflected by objects (matter) and thereby creates an 'image' (manifestation of light energy) upside down (relative to perception) inside our eye organ (matter) that converted to information that is transmitted by electrical impulses (energy) to our brain organ (matter) where it is named and categorized through the interaction of more electrical impulses (energy). The brain can then use the voice or pen to express what it has "seen." This process occurs uniquely in each individual.
Therefore, when one puts into words the images they have witnessed, they are voicing (or writing) a unique point of view. This point of view is expressed in words.
Words represent thoughts, but thoughts are unique whereas words are not. Therefore something more than words is necessary in order to express the unique perspective inherent to each human.
That 'something' is poetry.
Let me refer to the classic movie about ballet, "The Red Shoes", in which Boris Lermontov, the dance master, asks Victoria Page, the young dancer, "Why do you dance?"
She replies with her own question: "Why do you breathe?"
He's startled, but replies, "Because I must!"
She calmly says that it is the same with her and dancing.
I love to express myself through rhyme. I also love to create characters and scenarios in my poetry. It stimulates my creativity.
I like to write poems you see,
and make words that Rhyme but that is just me.
When I see someone who is sad and blue
I think, "I'll write a poem for you"
not just any old words won't do
But words to take away the hurt from you!
Poems are fun. Poems are usually kind.
Do you see what I mean?
I write poetry because I'm a VERY wordy person. When I feel or think about something sometimes it becomes sort of a "movie" in my head, sticks in there, and unless I write it out it will either become deeper engrained or I become obsessed with it. I do not always write because I want to or because if like to. I write because something in me needs to. Its a compulsion. I guess the best way to describe it is; when a person is deeply frightened, they run. When I feel something or have story in my head I HAVE to write it.
I'm with you there in your first sentence. I write full articles and reports, but they're technically and thoroughly worded, making it hard for many to follow. When I have one idea I want to convey succinctly, I use poetry - it's pleasing to read.
Writing poetry for me is a private thing that I keep for myself. Its for me to channel my emotion.
Well they are not that good but that is not my intention but for me to channel raw emotion and relax myself
Because I must. There are times when there is no other way to express what is within than with poetic utterance. A poet sees life through a poetic lens. What we don't write on paper, we express in thought and form. Most of what I write is in journals. It's there because I want it close to me. If I share it, it now belongs to the reader.
Because I am not good enough to write something longer.........
When I write poetry I'm able to express my inner most feelings. When my son died, it was through the vehicle of poetry that I found myself releasing feelings I didn't know I had. Anger, pain, guilt, loneliness found there way out of the prison of bewilderment and torment.
In a way, you could say that through poetry I learned to live with this unimaginable loss. My grief is endless but at least through poetry I can release negative energy and begin to heal.
This is only one reason I write poetry. This medium is natural for me. Words flow and vocabulary is born and I don't know where it comes from. It's almost as if someone else were writing and not me.
A fantastic question. Thank you for asking why we write poetry.
To quote e. e. cummings, when I write poetry, this is how I feel: "Well, write poetry, for God's sake, it's the only thing that matters."
When I'm moved to write or inspried or taken over by soemthing, this is how I feel: "Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things." T.S.Eliot
For me, poetry is a complete story of any kind one wants to tell in a limited space. A good poem can give the reader a complete story with texture and emotion in just a few stanzas. I find it very rewarding to sit and set out a complete scenario with few words.
And as Diana Lee states, it is an emotional release. I can take feelings and lay them out on paper and it is a tremendously cathartic experience.
Shh...(don't tell anyone) I can make FAR more money writing news. But poetry is all I now can handle.
like others have mentioned it is all about expressing what is inside of you.it is also a good way to use language creatively to stimulate the senses of the reader and explore your own feelings in a positive fashion.
I write poetry mostly when I'm depressed and the most vulnerable. The words on the paper express everything I can't say out loud.. All the emotions that have built up spilled all over the paper makes me feel for at least a moment that a weight has been lifted from me. A very good way to cope with stress, anger, loss, and depression in my case.
I write poetry when I just can't contain it, when I find a great book to commit to black out, and as a cathartic exercise as I heal from an abusive marriage.
I write poetry because it is good for the soul. It is a good release of pent up emotions which has been building up but never expressed. Also, a good time to be alone with your thoughts and talk to yourself internally without the distractions of your outer world.
by Jennifer Arnett 5 years ago
Does anyone have any tips for beginning to write poetry?I haven't written very many poems in my life. It's just not something I'm good at, but I would like to get better. Thank you!
by Sunny River 11 years ago
Why do you write poetry?What inspires and motivates you? Why poetry?
by WolfLarsen 12 years ago
There is no correct way to write poetry! But one thing to remember is that poetry is like whiskey and prose is like beer.
by Genna Eastman 13 years ago
Do you ever read poetry?Do you like to read poetry? If not, why; if you do, what is your favorite style of poetry?
by Aiden 3 years ago
Do you write poetry because some divine inspiration strikes you — or do you write poetry like the art of cooking: Better yet, do you compose poetry following mathematical formulae and equations? I ask this because HubPages is increasingly becoming like a global village of poets. What do you think,...
by Phoebe Pike 13 years ago
I have some real issues writing poetry. I love reading it and I would love to write it beyond a second grade level, but I keep getting stuck and it never conveys what I originally had planned. What do you find helpful? Is it just some people don't have a poetic bone in their body?
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